Rendering of proposed Veterans Village, a focal point of the Woodsonia Real Estate good life district proposal in Grand Island. An enhanced Eagle Scout Lake is in the forefront with the "state-of-the-art" sports complex in the background (Courtesy of Woodsonia)
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LINCOLN — Another rocky episode is unfolding in the saga of Nebraska’s Good Life District Act — this time in Grand Island.
Grand Island contains one of the five state-approved good life districts governed by legislation aimed at creating tourism-boosting economic development projects via a state tax incentive. Originally passed in 2023, the law has been modified every year since to close loopholes and strengthen guardrails.
Woodsonia Real Estate, an Omaha-based private developer, submitted a 2024 application that established Grand Island’s 875-acre district designation and, even before then, had been working with city officials on a half-billion-dollar plan dubbed Veterans Village. The vision features elements including housing, entertainment venues and a national event-drawing sports complex.
But now Woodsonia leaders are crying foul.
They say that after they’ve invested some $2 million and nearly three years into the effort, Grand Island city administrators appear to have cut them out of the picture. A recent communication to Woodsonia said the city’s legal team no longer was authorized to negotiate with the developer.
On top of that, the city has launched a public search for a contractor to perform services that Woodsonia representatives say they’ve already started, including planning and designing a large-scale sports facility and aquatic center.
Bizarre, baffling, hijacked
Woodsonia’s president Drew Snyder and company partner Mitch Hohlen, in an interview with the Nebraska Examiner, described the situation as bizarre and baffling. They believe they are being blamed for delays and are “mystified” at the city’s cold-shoulder treatment.
“We feel slighted. We are upset,” said Snyder. “To be honest, we feel like the city has hijacked this good life district. We don’t think we’re being treated professionally.”
Woodsonia leaders said they have no intention of relinquishing any rights they might have as the state’s approved applicant, a distinction they said followed an “extensive” review process. They questioned the authority the city has to shift gears.
Grand Island’s mayor did not return a reporter’s messages. The city has switched administrators since the good life district was formed, and the current city administrator declined an interview.
In a written statement, the city told the Examiner: “The city is unable to provide public comment regarding Woodsonia or any related matters due to active Requests for Proposals (RFP) processes. … to ensure the integrity and fairness of the process.”
The RFP outreach seeks a contractor for phase one architectural and engineering services as well as comprehensive operations, management and consulting services.
Woodsonia leaders say they have contacted the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, as well as lawmakers such as State Sen. Brad von Gillern of Omaha, who as chair of the Legislature’s Revenue Committee has shepherded legislative modifications affecting good life districts.
Von Gillern on Wednesday described his conversation with Woodsonia as “attention-getting” and said he was still gathering information.
He said a staff lawyer was reviewing the matter, including legal latitude given to the city of Grand Island, a tax-exempt entity. He clarified that the legislation was intended to generate tax revenue through construction and tourism.
Tax incentive
As designed, the law created a major incentive: Lawmakers agreed to give up half the state’s sales tax generated within a good life district’s boundaries for up to 30 years. The idea was for that revenue to be redirected to help finance development of unique “transformational” projects within the zone that over time would pay off in more tourism-related development and tax revenue.
In Grand Island’s case, the city estimated that the incentive, or redirected state sales tax, would generate at least $7 million a year.
Woodsonia said such funding would enable financing for the sports complex, aquatics center, amphitheater and commercial and residential development it proposed to develop within the zone.
Snyder said Woodsonia focused its vision on about 375 acres on the north side of Grand Island — around the former state veterans home that moved to Kearney and on ground the state conveyed to the city — at an earlier request of Grand Island’s mayor.
Woodsonia is familiar with the area, as it recently completed a multimillion-dollar renovation of the old Conestoga Mall, which is in the good life district boundaries and a main sales tax generator.
Snyder and Hohlen said they started to get a signal in late 2024 that the city might want to change course and “self-develop” — in their opinion focusing more on local community-centric elements like the aquatics center.
They described Woodsonia’s vision as more comprehensive, centering on a regional tournament style sports complex surrounded by commercial venues that attract tourists.
Woodsonia compiled a timeline dating back to mid-2023, highlighting Grand Island City Council votes supporting the Woodsonia plan. In September 2024, Woodsonia noted its “struggles” to advance discussions with the city.
In December 2025, at the request of the mayor, Woodsonia presented “best and final” terms to the City Council, which voted 8-1 to authorize city staff to negotiate official documents including development, tax-increment financing and land conveyance agreements.
Woodsonia partners believed the partnership was moving forward then, they said, the city held several executive sessions to which they were not invited and in March stopped negotiations.
Other good life strife
The Grand Island dispute is not the first controversy to arise from the “Good Life Transformational Projects Act.” Other cities with state-approved good life districts are Omaha, Bellevue, Gretna and Kearney, though Kearney residents have yet to solidify the program with a vote.
Perhaps the most high-profile tumult rattled the Gretna-area district. Part of the conflict was that $2.2 million in state sales tax revenue was lost as progress on the Gretna district was stymied.
The host city of Gretna and Nebraska Crossing owner Rod Yates, whose application established that district’s boundaries, deadlocked over terms for his multibillion dollar mega sports-themed vision. Yates demanded concessions that Gretna officials said put taxpayers at financial risk. He eventually wanted to terminate his application.
Gov. Jim Pillen last year proposed clawing back funds budgeted for the state incentives. Even the law’s primary champion and architect, former State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of the Elkhorn area, at one point criticized how the good life legislation was being carried out. Fixes were made to address criticisms.
The program is under the wing of the Department of Economic Development, which said its involvement so far has been to review the application for the district. Its statement said the department encourages “local elected leaders” to work with the developers to maximize the local benefit.
Von Gillern said the DED is not a “policing” agent that would step into situations like that in Grand Island, but rather is tasked with reviewing a good life district’s progress at certain points.
Hohlen said Woodsonia felt pushed into seeking state intervention. He and his partners are hoping to get a chance to speak at next week’s Gretna City Council meeting.
“We’re ready, willing and able to move forward,” he said.
- 8:32 pmEditor's note: This story has been revised to add comment from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.
This story is provided by States Newsroom, a nonprofit state news network and Blox Digital content partner.
